Sous Vide Honeyed Kumquats

The Lilliputian of citrus, kumquats not only are adorable to look at, but downright tantalizing to eat. This recipe is wonderful for a light, post-dinner dessert. Tiny in size, but big in flavor, they’re entirely edible – rind and all. Even freshly picked off the tree, they are tender enough to bite into due to their thin skin and teeny seeds. Their juice is fairly tart while their rind has a subtle sweetness. If you’re not lucky enough to have your own backyard tree, look for kumquats in stores and farmers markets from late winter to early spring. Cook them in a precision cooker with a pinch of salt and a glug of honey and they turn delightfully jammy. But unlike so many commercial fruit jams, this one isn’t cloying at all. Instead, it retains a bright citrus flavor with a touch of sweetness, a pronounced tang, and an edge of bitterness. That makes it perfect to enjoy alongside savory or sweet preparations. Serve it with roast chicken, roast pork or grilled shrimp as you would chutney. Or slather it on biscuits or toasted pound cake. Or spoon it atop your breakfast yogurt or oatmeal. Or enjoy it my favorite way – drizzled over scoops of vanilla ice cream for a dreamy creamsicle-like treat.

Author

Carolyn Jung

Carolyn Jung is a James Beard Award-winning Bay Area food journalist, whose work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Coastal Living, Via magazine, Food Arts, Edible Silicon Valley, Wine Spectator and other publications. She is the former staff food writer for the San Jose Mercury News. Her debut cookbook "San Francisco Chef's Table'' published in December 2013. She is also the creator of the acclaimed blog, FoodGal.com.

Prep Time: 00:15

Recipe Time: 01:00

Temperature : 194F / 90C

Ingredients

• 1 pound kumquats
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 194ºF (90ºC).
2. Slice kumquats 1/8 inch thick. Remove the stems and as many seeds as possible. (Or not, as the seeds will cook down to be so tender that you won’t even notice them.)
3. Place kumquat slices, honey and salt in a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the moist setting. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 1 hour.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath and transfer to an ice bath. Let cool completely. Kumquat mixture will thicken slightly.
2. The honeyed kumquats are now ready to be enjoyed. They will keep in a tightly closed covered container in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. (Makes about 1 3/4 cups).